Penelope – Mythopedia Penelope was the wife of the hero Odysseus, ruler of the small island of Ithaca She remained faithful to her husband for twenty years while awaiting his return from the Trojan War, holding off many suitors with her cunning
Odysseus – Mythopedia Odysseus was a Greek hero from Ithaca known for his cunning After helping to win the Trojan War, he was forced to wander the world for ten years before returning home
Odyssey: Book 21 (Full Text) - Mythopedia Argument The Bending of Ulysses’ Bow Penelope, to put an end to the solicitation of the suitors, proposes to marry the person who shall first bend the bow of Ulysses, and shoot through the ringlets After their attempts have proved ineffectual, Ulysses, taking Eumaeus and Philaetius apart, discovers himself to them; then returning, desires leave to try his strength at the bow, which, though
Odyssey: Book 1 (Full Text) - Mythopedia The suitors of Penelope make great entertainments, and riot in her palace till night Phemius sings to them the return of the Grecians, till Penelope puts a stop to the song Some words arise between the suitors and Telemachus, who summons the council to meet the day following
Odyssey: Book 23 (Full Text) - Mythopedia Argument Euryclea awakens Penelope with the news of Ulysses’ return, and the death of the suitors Penelope scarcely credits her; but supposes some god has punished them, and descends from her department in doubt At the first interview of Ulysses and Penelope, she is quite unsatisfied Minerva restores him to the beauty of his youth; but the queen continues incredulous, till by some
Achilles – Mythopedia Swift and fierce Achilles was one of the greatest warriors of Greek mythology During the Trojan War, he was instrumental in helping the Greeks retrieve Helen and decimate Troy
Helen of Troy – Mythopedia Helen of Troy, “the face that launched a thousand ships,” was a daughter of Zeus and Leda who was famous for her extraordinary beauty When Helen left her Greek husband for a handsome Trojan prince, the Greeks started the Trojan War to get her back
Odyssey – Mythopedia The Odyssey, traditionally said to have been composed by Homer, is an epic poem probably written around the middle of the eighth century BCE It describes the Greek hero Odysseus’ wanderings as he journeys home from fighting in the Trojan War
Agamemnon (Play) – Mythopedia The Agamemnon is a tragedy composed by Aeschylus around 458 BCE In the play, the Greek warrior Agamemnon returns home after conquering Troy, only to be murdered by his treacherous wife Clytemnestra
Laertes – Mythopedia Ulysses’ Revenge on Penelope’s Suitors by Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg (1814) The Hirschsprung Collection, Copenhagen Public Domain Laertes in the Odyssey The most familiar portrait of Laertes comes from Homer’s Odyssey, an epic poem narrating Odysseus’ adventures on his voyage home to Ithaca